282 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
282 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
news
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uknews
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terrorism-in-the-uk
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7907127
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-----
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# July 7 inquests could become public inquiry to hide MI5 evidence
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## The July 7 inquests could be turned into a public inquiry to prevent
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secret MI5 evidence being released.
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![It is feared that the July 7 inquests could be turned into a public inquiry
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to prevent the release of secret MI5 evidence][1]
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The wreckage of a London bus after the 7/7 bombing in Tavistock Square Photo:
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REUTERS
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7:30AM BST 24 Jul 2010
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Theresa May, the Home Secretary, reserved the right to launch a public inquiry
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and halt the inquests, potentially adding extra cost and delay to the process,
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the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London was told.
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Coroner Lady Justice Hallett ruled in May that the inquests should examine
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whether security officials could have prevented the 2005 London bombings.
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Families of the 52 innocent people killed in the attacks welcomed her
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decision.
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They want to use the inquests to ask MI5 officials why they did not follow up
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plot ringleader Mohammed Sidique Khan after he was witnessed meeting known
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terror suspects 17 months before the atrocities.
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But the Security Service argues this is both unnecessary and impossible
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because doing so would require the disclosure of top secret intelligence
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files.
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## Related Articles
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* [Terror suspects can sue over flawed control orders, court rules][2]
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28 Jul 2010
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* [July 7 bombings remembered][3]
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07 Jul 2010
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* [July7 attack: the victims][4]
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07 Jul 2010
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* [7/7 victim reveals new face][5]
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07 Jul 2010
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* [London terror attack victim reveals new face][6]
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07 Jul 2010
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Jonathan Hall, counsel for the Home Secretary and MI5, today revealed that
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Ministers have decided against launching a judicial review of the coroner's
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ruling.
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He told her: "The decision is not to seek to challenge your decision on scope.
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"And so far as public inquiries are concerned, the Secretary of State does not
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propose to initiate a public inquiry, although that cannot be ruled out as a
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possibility."
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One option for MI5 would be to hive off questions about whether the bombings
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were preventable into a separate inquiry, which could examine secret documents
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in private.
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Section 17A of the Coroners Act 1988, as amended in 1999, gives the Lord
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Chancellor power to adjourn an inquest if the death is being investigated by a
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public inquiry.
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This provision was controversially used in the case of Azelle Rodney, 24, who
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was shot dead by police in London in 2005, after his inquest stalled over the
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release of secret evidence.
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Lady Justice Hallett extracted a pledge that any Ministers who take a decision
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on turning the hearings into a public inquiry will have to read an assessment
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of the impact the move would have on the bereaved families and the work done
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by her inquest team.
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She told Mr Hall: "I have already committed many thousands of pounds of public
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money and other resources on this task.
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"I have made promises to families, to survivors, and indeed to the wider
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public. I am sure that those who instruct you will understand that I am
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anxious not to waste those resources or break those promises."
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The inquests will begin on October 11 and are expected to last for about four
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to five months, counsel to the inquests Hugo Keith QC announced today.
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They will begin with an opening statement, followed by details of the four
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suicide bombers' journey to London.
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Evidence will then be called relating to the scenes of the four attacks, first
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Aldgate, followed by Edgware Road, King's Cross and Tavistock Square.
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The hearings for each scene are expected to last two to three weeks, with the
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first three due to finish before Christmas and Tavistock Square covered in
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January.
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The inquests will then cover the backgrounds of the bombers and general issues
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like forensics and the command of the emergency services.
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They will finish by looking at the question of whether the attacks could have
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been prevented.
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MI5 warned that the process of blanking out sensitive information in documents
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will be very lengthy.
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Mr Hall said it would take a team of six or seven Security Service officers
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five months to edit all the secret papers held by MI5, West Yorkshire Police
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and the Metropolitan Police.
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It could take three months just to prepare all the documents so the coroner
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and her team can inspect them to consider whether they will be needed for the
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inquests, he added.
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Another pre-inquest hearing will be held on October 4.
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[X][7] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][8]
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* Share: [Share][7] [ ][9] [ ][10]
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[Tweet][11]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/7907127/July-7
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-inquests-could-become-public-inquiry-to-hide-MI5-evidence.html
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Telegraph
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## [Terrorism in the UK][12]
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* ### [News »][13]
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* ### [UK News »][14]
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In news
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[![London Underground train which was bombed at Aldgate tube station on
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Thursday July 7, 2005][15] ][16]
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### [Voices of 7/7: victims recall terror attacks][16]
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[![7/7 inquests in pictures: evidence from the July 7 London bombings
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inquest][17] ][18]
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### [7/7 inquest evidence][18]
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[![Mohammed Siddique Khan][19] ][20]
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### [7/7 bomber records goodbye to daughter][20]
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[![Footage of the Tube trains wrecked in the deadly July 7 terror attacks in
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2005 has been made available for the first time.][21] ][22]
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### [London 7/7 attacks: video of the aftermath][22]
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[![James Adams: July 7 inquiry: the 52 victims of the 7/7 terror attacks in
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London][23] ][24]
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### [The 52 victims of the 7/7 terror attacks][24]
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[X][7] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][8]
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Share:
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* [ ][7]
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* [ ][9]
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* [ ][10]
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* [Tweet][11]
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* Advertisement
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![][25]
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Advertisement
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[Follow The Telegraph on Social Media »][26]
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Like Telegraph.co.uk on Facebook
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